How to Become a Travel Nurse
A degree may open the door to a variety of opportunities and diverse career paths. The degree programs offered at CTU will not necessarily lead to the featured careers. This collection of articles is intended to help inform and guide you through the process of determining which level of degree and types of certifications align with your desired career path.
To become a Traveling Nurse, either an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is required. It's also required to become licensed. This can be done by passing the NCLEX-RN exam.
If you are a nurse or an aspiring nurse who is open to living or working in different areas on a short-term basis, then pursuing a career path as a travel nurse could be a good option. Rather than working for a single employer for an extended period, travel nurses use nursing staffing agencies to help place them with employers who need them on a contract basis—wherever that may be. Whether you want work in a particular region of the United States, all over the country or all over the world, travel nursing could offer opportunities to do so.
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What Do Travel Nurses Do?
Travel nurses perform the same types of general activities as other registered nurses, including assessing patient conditions, administering medications, operating and monitoring medical equipment, or helping to perform diagnostic tests and analyzing the results.1 However, a travel nurse’s specific duties are likely to vary from assignment to assignment.
Additionally, travel nurses may be generalists or specialists. Cardiovascular nurses, critical care nurses, neonatal nurses and nephrology nurses are just a few examples of specialized registered nurses,1 any of whom may choose to become travel nurses, taking their specialized skills and knowledge with them, no matter where in the world they work.
In fact, the primary difference between travel nurses and other nurses is that, instead of pursuing permanent staff nurse positions, travel nurses go to where their services are needed and work there on a temporary, or contract, basis. They also typically utilize nursing staffing agencies to find employment.2
Why Are Travel Nurses Important?
Travel nurses help facilities to fill their staffing gaps during nurse shortages. They may bring their expertise in a particular medical specialty to regions or facilities that may have limited local access to such specialists. In times of crisis, such as during a natural disaster or epidemic/pandemic, travel nurses can play a pivotal role in meeting the immediate and increased demand for healthcare services. Their willingness to work where they are most needed helps to make the healthcare system more resilient overall.
Travel Nurse Characteristics
Travel nurses, like registered nurses in general, should possess qualities such as critical-thinking skills, communication skills, compassion, attention to detail, emotional stability, organizational skills and physical stamina.1
But certain additional qualities may be particularly helpful for those who wish to become a travel nurse. Because travel nurses often work with new colleagues, they should have strong interpersonal skills. Because they work in different facilities or environments that may have different policies and procedures, they should be adaptable. Because they often need to find temporary housing or navigate visa or other requirements, travel nurses should be resourceful. And because they work on a contract basis and may not know where the next opportunity will take them, travel nurses should be comfortable with some uncertainty.
Travel Nurse Requirements: Education, Licensure and Certification
Overview: How to Become a Travel Nurse
Many of the steps that are required to become a travel nurse are the same ones that are required to become any type of registered nurse:
- Earn a nursing degree or diploma from an accredited nursing program.
- Pass the NCLEX-RN exam.
- Obtain state licensure.
- Gain clinical nursing experience.
However, travel nurses may encounter some logistical issues that other types of nurses may not, particularly when it comes to licensing. That’s because non-travel nurses need to seek licensure only in their state of residence/where they plan to work. Travel nurses, on the other hand, may find themselves working out of state or even internationally, requiring them to ensure that they are legally able to work in whatever location they are placed in.
Travel Nursing Education Requirements
As discussed above, travel nurses are a type of registered nurse (RN). Education requirements for becoming a registered nurse include graduating from an accredited nursing degree program (Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN), Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)) or nursing diploma program.1 Many bachelor’s degree programs in nursing are really RN-to-BSN degree completion programs, which are designed for actively licensed RNs who already hold an associate degree or diploma in nursing and want to pursue a more advanced undergraduate nursing degree.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), some employers, particularly hospitals, prefer candidates who hold a BSN.1
Travel Nursing Licensure Requirements
To obtain RN licensure after graduating from an approved nursing program, aspiring nurses must not only pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) but also meet all requirements set by the state board of nursing for the state in which they plan to practice. These licensing requirements vary by state.1
But, thanks to the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), nurses do not necessarily have to obtain additional RN licensure every time they travel out of state to work. Nurses who live in a compact state and meet the uniform licensure requirements may be eligible to apply for a multistate license through their home state’s board of nursing.3
As of the time of this writing, there are 43 participating jurisdictions (states) to the NLC.4 If a travel nurse with a multistate license plans to work in any jurisdiction that is not a party to the NLC, they need to obtain separate licensure. With that said, it may be possible to “fast track” this process or otherwise streamline it. You should contact the board of nursing for the state you plan to work in to make sure you understand all options that are available to you.
Travel nurses who plan to work outside of the United States will need to consider additional issues, including different scopes or standards of practice, visa issues or sponsorship issues.
Travel Nursing Certification Requirements
There is no certification specific to travel nurses.2 Rather, travel nurses must obtain the same basic certifications as other RNs (e.g., Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS), or Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) (for pediatric nurses), all available through the American Heart Association or American Red Cross. Travel nurses must also obtain certification relevant to their nursing specialty, for example, labor and delivery, pediatrics or psychiatry.
Other Travel Nursing Requirements
Apart from satisfying education, licensing and certification requirements, nurses typically must have a minimum of one to two years of nursing experience before they can pursue travel nursing opportunities. One reason for this is that travel nurses find employment through nurse staffing agencies, which often require the nurses they represent to have a minimum of one to two years of clinical experience. Another reason is that employers who hire travel nurses for contract assignments may be looking for nurses who can “jump right in” (entry-level nurses are more likely to need guidance and instruction).
Pursue an RN-to-BSN, MSN or DNP Online Degree Program at CTU
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, ADN, ASN and BSN nurses generally qualify for entry-level staff nurse positions, although some employers (hospitals in particular) may require candidates to hold a bachelor’s degree in nursing.1
Because travel nurses work on a contract basis and do not necessarily know where or what their next assignment will be, holding a bachelor’s degree (or higher) in nursing could help to potentially open up a wider array of opportunities, from hospitals to outpatient clinics and beyond—something that may be especially important if you are regularly looking for new, temporary nursing assignments.
Colorado Technical University offers online nursing degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels for nurses who possess an active and unencumbered RN license:
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN-to-BSN)
- Master of Science in Nursing (offering Family Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Administration and Nursing Education concentrations)
- Doctor of Nursing Practice
CTU’s nursing degree programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (https://www.aacnnursing.org/ccne-accreditation).
Explore all of CTU’s online nursing degree programs today, or apply now.
1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, “Registered Nurses,” https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/registered-nurses.htm (last visited April 21, 2025).
2 American Nursing Association (ANA), “How to Become a Travel Nurse,” https://www.nursingworld.org/content-hub/resources/nursing-resources/how-to-become-travel-nurse/ (last visited April 21, 2025).
3 National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), Nurse Licensure Compact, “Applying for Licensure,” https://www.nursecompact.com/how-it-works/applying-for-licensure.page (last visited April 21, 2025).
4 National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), https://www.nursecompact.com/ (last visited April 21, 2025).
CTU cannot guarantee employment, salary, or career advancement. Not all programs are available to residents of all states. REQ2127804 4/2025